Well, as usual, Fr Z reacts with a narrow mind which is lacking in facts.

The Clown Stations which he criticised at his web site, isn't what people think, being performed in Church by clowns.

Its more of a play done on stage by a Clown Ministry Team.

From The Deacons Bench;

While clowns are seen as symbols of humor, the Clown Ministry Associates take a page from Emmett Kelly. &#8220;It isn&#8217;t essentially a humorous thing,&#8221; said Rita Ablett, a founding member of the group. &#8220;It isn&#8217;t about clowns &#8212; it&#8217;s about people.&#8221;

The only humor in the clowns&#8217; performance is at the beginning, when two happy clowns try to cheer up Marmeldook, and in some of the sad clown&#8217;s questions to the spirit. At one Station, for example, the spirit explains that Jesus told the women of Jerusalem, &#8220;Do not weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children.

So then from your statements, you oppose stations of the cross done in abstract art?
Jim

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Yep.

To me, the expression in the face of the Blessed Mother meeting Jesus carrying the cross shown in the photo, is touching.

Your thinking circus clowns, which this was not.

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And this sums up why I'm against abstract art for this kind of thing. Modern and abstract art by its very nature is incredibly subjective. That whole movement in art intended to portray a subjective experience or perception of some object or event, rather than striving to portray an objective truth. Sure, the artist and maybe a few other people will get it (and few more will pretend to), but the rest will just see a mess.

Modern church architecture suffers from the same problem. If you read some of the architectss explanations, some have good Catholic ideas intended in the work, but they're the only ones who can recognize them. The rest of us regular folks just see a spaceship or a slug or theater or a warehouse or a myriad of other things--or nothing at all--all depending on the individual and which do nothing to lift our hearts to any objective truth. Here's an example of what I mean using a still life of a bouquet of flowers. Everyone knows what the first is. In the second, its anyone's guess as to what is going on, even though its essentially the same thing:

The same can be said about Mary. Put her in clown makeup and people are going to think clowns. The same emotion can be expressed in an univocal manner instead as is done in most Passion plays where there is no confusion. There's no need to throw in a clown-Mary.

And this sums up why I'm against abstract art for this kind of thing. Modern and abstract art by its very nature is incredibly subjective.

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Not if its good art.

The feeling of sadness, joy and happiness are felt by those who observe the art and are open to it.

That whole movement in art intended to portray a subjective experience or perception of some object or event, rather than striving to portray an objective truth. Sure, the artist and maybe a few other people will get it (and few more will pretend to), but the rest will just see a mess.

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The objective truth is that the Blessed Mother felt the deep sorry seeing her son, being crucified, as the artist portrayed in the clown stations.

Even in traditional art, there is an expression being given through the artist eyes and hands. Its not absolutely what the characters in the art felt, but neither are the images actually those of the characters whom we've never seen.

Also, as we deepen in our prayer life, the images of Christ portrayed in traditional are, have to be discarded for they're the image created by the artist and not Christ.

We need to begin to experience God as He realy is, not as we imagine him.

However, in impressionist art forms, what is expressed is human feelings and although these are also not exact, they the common feelings human beings feel.

Modern church architecture suffers from the same problem.

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Not to me. Most modern Church architecture made Church worship more practicale and comfortable.

It especially made it more accessible for all. When my father became a parapalegic back in 1964, his days of attending Mass ended, for he couldn't get in to any of the old style cathedral styled churchs.

Here's an example of what I mean using a still life of a bouquet of flowers. Everyone knows what the first is and can appreciate its beauty. In the second, its anyone's guess as to what is going on, even though its essentially the same thing:

The same can be said about Mary. Put her in clown makeup and people are going to think clowns. The same emotion can be expressed in an univocal manner using instead as is done in most Passion plays. There's no need to throw in a clown-Mary.

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In the picture of Mary in the clown stations, I didn't think clown. What I felt looking at the impression of her was the sorry she felt.

The bottom line is, its a matter of personal taste in art, and not that its wrong.